Trying To Be Strong
by UPlover
Summary: Why does Russell go to school after the weekend his mother dies? To be strong or to show everyone that he's brave. Enjoy! I don't own UP. Also Emily is Russell's friend.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"... sadly car accident victim Rajel Aya Wu Christopher has passed away October 18th 2009 from awful injuries..."  
Russell walked into the kitchen and saw the picture of his mother on the TV. They were talking about her again. When were they going to stop?  
"... Christopher's eight year old son, Russell Robert Christopher, survived with a broken arm and is now in the custody of..."  
Carl shut the TV off once he noticed Russell standing in the doorway.  
Russell had on his backpack as he walked into the kitchen, took a muffin and walked over to the door.  
"Where do you think you're going?" Carl asked.  
"School. It's Monday." Russell answered. There was no expression on his face or even in his voice. Russell hadn't been himself since what happened. He never cried at the funeral yesterday. All he said was; 'Thank you Mama.'  
"I don't think you should go to school. I could hear you tossing and turning all night long.  
"I'll be okay Mr. Fredricksen. I missed a lot last week."  
Carl sighed. "Alright. Straight home after alright?"  
"Straight home after."  
"Do you want me to bring you..."  
"I'll take the bus. It's here."  
Carl watched Russell climb onto the bus and watched until it disappeared. He had so much to do now that he was a parent. A new phone number for the school office, telling the bus to come to a new spot, buying things for the house. So many things.  
He felt that Russell shouldn't go to school when this awful event just occurred.  
He hoped Russell would make it through the day.  
Russell didn't want Carl to worry about him. He was showing Carl that he could be strong. Carl was sad enough already and it would just worsen it id he stayed home and sobbed.  
The bus stopped and Emily got on.  
Her smile faded at seeing Russell.  
"Hi Russell."  
"Hello."  
Emily sat in the seat next to Russell. She didn't know what to say. Russell knew she was looking at his arm in the sling.  
"I'm okay. She died Friday. Mr. Fredricksen is my adopted father. The funeral was yesterday."  
That's all they spoke.  
Let the week go fast, Russell thought in his mind as he fought back the tears.


	2. Chapter 2

Note: Mrs. Carmody is Russell's third grade teacher and Kevin is a bully in his class. I don't own UP.

Chapter 2

Russell came to his locker at school and hung up his things. All the kids who knew Russell were staring at him.  
Staring and pointing.  
His mother died, big deal.  
Russell walked into the classroom.  
"Russell."  
Russell looked at his teacher who had a surprised look on her face. How many times was he going to get that this week?  
"Yes Mr. Carmody?"  
"We uh, weren't expecting you to come today after... what happened." Mrs. Carmody said remembering the heartbreaking news she read and saw about her energetic student.  
"Best to catch up. I missed a lot."  
A group of his friends came apart from their whispers and they smiled at Russell. They weren't real smiles, they were "I'm so sorry for your loss' smiles.  
"Hi Russell, how are you?" Brandon asked.  
What was he supposed to say? Whenever Brandon asked that he chattered about everything that happened after school."  
"Um... okay..."  
"We're all really sorry." Henry said.  
"Yeah sorry you have an adopted new OLD man." Kevin laughed as he walked by.  
Russell wanted to push him or hurt the person who'd been unkind to him his whole life. That was the worst thing he ever said. If anybody ever said a thing about Car he didn't know what he'd do.  
The announcements came on and they all stood up to say the pledge. Russell barely listened to the announcements. It was just about lunch, recess, birthday and a bunch of other boring stuff. Russell looked at the schedule for the day on the board.

Monday October 21st 2009

8:20-8:30: Settle in, announcements  
8:30-9:00: Vocab.  
9:00-10:15: Reading  
10:15-11:00: Gym  
11:00-11:45: Art  
11:45-1:00:Lunch/Recess  
1:00-2:00 :Soc. Studies  
2:00-2:30: Silent Reading  
2:30: Go Home

I can make it through the day, Russell said to himself as attendance was being taken. Mrs. Carmody was different then the other teachers when attendance was taken. She didn't go in alphabetical order. She went how everybody was seated in their desks starting with Kevin O'Neal.  
"Blake, James!"  
"Present!"  
"Derkins, Emily!"  
"Here as always!"  
"Thibduae, Donald!"  
"Right here!"  
Everyone had a different remark every time. Russell always had a good one. He forgot to think up a new one.  
"Susal, Brandon!"  
"When would I not be here?"  
"Daniels, Jackie!"  
"Good morning!"  
Russell couldn't think of anything. What would anybody care if he said something else. He wasn't in the mood for happy remarks this morning.  
"Christopher, Russell!"  
"Here."  
Mrs. Carmody hesitated a moment with the next name looking at Russell. Everyone was looking at him. He always said something funny.  
"P-Pembroke, Jaime!"  
"hu... uh... present."  
Russell always made the class cheerful. With him like this, class was different. Once again tears threatened not nobody wanted to see him upset. If he began crying the office would send him home where he and Carl would be sad.  
"Alright everybody it's time to start off the day with the vocab. On the board I wrote the words so copy them down please. Remember to leave space and see if you know what they mean before we write the real definition. 15 minutes."  
Russell wrote.  
Brownie.  
Sigh. A delicious dessert, that he and his mother used to bake. How he was going to miss eating those gooey chocolate treats.  
Character.  
A person in a story or movie, like in the stories his mother read to him, that she won't read anymore.  
Frown.  
Sadness, he will never smile again.  
Heavenly.  
Russell heaved a sigh and looked out the window and into the cloudless sky.  
A place where his mother was and would never come back to him.  
"Russell?"  
Russell came out from the daze and looked at Brandon.  
"You know that you're supposed to be working, right?"  
"I know what I'm supposed to be doing!" Russell snapped making his friend flinch. "I'm not dumb!"  
Russell went back to his work, wiping away a little small tear.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Frog and Toad

Chapter 3

"Okay, so take your books out. We'll pick up from where we left off on Friday." Mrs. Carmody said after vocab was done. She came by to Russell's desk and placed a book down.  
Frog and Toad Together.  
His mother always read this to him, mostly when he was sick. He loved this book and it held so many memories.  
"Jason, it's your turn to read."  
Jason was in front of Russell. That meant he had to read. He didn't want to read because the memories might cause him to get upset. If he passed reading everyone would stare at him since he always read. He couldn't stand the stares. He had to be strong and not depress himself and the people around him.  
"'But you were right Frog. It was very hard work.'"  
"Alright, thank you Jason. The next little chapter is called 'cookies'. Russell it's your turn to read, would you like to pick up."  
Russell made a deep breath.  
"'Toad baked some cookies,'"  
Just like Mama and I used to do. This was our favorite chapter.  
"'These cookies smell very good," said Toad. He ate one. "And they taste even better," he said'"  
How I wish I could eat one of those chocolaty warm cookies. The smell was so wonderful and the taste was better then the small.  
"'Toad ran to Frog's house. "Frog, Frog," cried Toad, "Taste these cookies that I made." Russell cleared his throat when his voice was becoming hoarse. Don't start, be strong. "'Frog ate one of the cookies,'"  
Tears were forming in Russell's eyes as everyone knew russell was crying.  
"T-These are the be-best... cook-cookies I-I have ever eaten!" s-said Frog. Frog and Toad ate... m-many cookies... one af-after another..."  
Mrs. Carmody bent down to Russell. "Russell can you come into the hallway with me?" she asked. "N-No. I'm alright!" Russell sniffled.  
Mrs. Carmody picked him out from his seat. "Keep reading children, I'll be back in a few minutes."  
They walked out into the hallway as Russell blew his nose and sat on the bench with his teacher. "Russell, you could have skipped reading if it upset you that much." his teacher said to him.  
"... Mama and I a-always read Frog and Toad and we-we always made the be-best chocolate chip cookies!" Russell cried.  
"Oh I understand. Come on why don't we go take a walk."  
"No, I'll be alright." Russell said knowing that she wanted to take him to the office. He let out a sob and buried his eyes into the tissue and hiccuped.  
Mrs. Carmody helped him off the bench, asked a teach to watch her classroom and headed toward the office.  
There was no getting out from this one.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Mrs. Carmody opened the door to the office as all the teachers looked up from their work. "Why what happened here?" Ms. Emmens asked piling tissues from the box.  
"Oh nothing, Russell is just sad. Reading Frog and Toad brought memories of his mother back."  
Russell was sat into a seat and given a new tissue.  
"I heard what happened on the news Russell, I'm so sorry for you loss."  
Russell didn't know what to say to that. Mrs. Carmody brought him he so he could cry without disturbing others, not to send him home. He'd just cry for a few minutes and return to class. "Would you like some nice cold water Russell?" Ms. Emmens asked Russell who nodded.  
Russell drank the water and felt a little better but still felt sad and was exhausted from crying. His eyes were probably red as he still sniffled.  
"I'll have Brandon take your stuff down to you." Mrs. Carmody said getting up.  
"What do you mean?"  
"I'm going to give Mr. Fredricksen a call and have him take you home."  
"No!" Russell wailed. "I want to stay here and show him that I can be strong!"  
The two teachers understood as they looked at each other.  
"Russell, I think it's best if you go home. It was brave of you to try and come to school but you should really go home. Nobody wants to you upset all day. I'm sure Mr. Fredricksen is lonely at home and would love your company."  
Russell sighed. He did want Carl and wanted to be home rather than be in school.  
"Okay."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Hello Mr. Fredricksen, this Oakland Elementary school secretary Margaret Emmens... Oh everything is fine, we're just sending Russell home because he's too sad... okay we'll see you soon. Bye."  
Ms. Emmens put the phone down and gave a smile to Russell. "Mr. Fredricksen will be here soon darling."  
Russell sighed. Nothing felt right anymore. He never thought he would need his mother this badly. At the funeral he didn't even cry. He just said 'Thank you Mama' and that was it. She couldn't hear him to thank him back.  
Brandon came into the office. "Here's your stuff Russell."  
"Thanks."  
"Hope things get better soon." Brandon said about to leave.  
"Wait Brandon, I'm sorry for snapping at you."  
"It's alright. I understand that you're going through a rough time. I hope things will get better." Brandon left the office.  
Russell just sat in gloom staring to the floor, holding back tears not wanting to cry in front of Ms. Emmens. He had to be strong. Now he wanted Mr. Fredricksen but he'd make Carl sad if he began to cry at home.  
"You don't need to hide your feelings Russell." Ms. Emmens said getting up and walking over to the boy. "I don't want everybody to be sad around me." Russell spoke.  
"Nobody wants that. Don't hide your feelings. Let yourself feel what you want to feel."  
"But I'm feeling all kinds of emotions. I don't want to feel or let out any of them!" Russell spoke tearing up.  
"Russell, when I was ten my mother died," the secretary spoke. "For weeks I stuck in grief and didn't know what to feel. I found out that letting out how I felt made me feel better. Let yourself feel what you need to feel and you'll soon feel better."  
Carl walked into the office.  
"Hey Rascal, do you want to go home?" Carl asked Russell who nodded. Carl signed Russell out and got into the car and drove home.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The two walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table as Carl handed Russell a tissue. "You could have stayed home Russell. I know how you feel."  
"But I don't want you to feel what I'm feeling again." Russell spoke tearfully. "I don't want you to be sad or be around a sad person. I thought school would make me forget about her."  
Carl understood, moving his seat closer to his little boy.  
"Russell, I feel sad, not as sad as you who lost someone so close to you. I went through the same feelings when Ellie died. You have to know that it's alright to tell me how you're feeling. Don't force the tears in." Russell sighed and wiped his watery eyes with the tissue. "You know what I think you need. I think you need a good cry. It will make you feel better."  
Carl held out his arms as Russell bounced into his father's lap and hugged him tightly as Carl let him wet his shirt with tears just like his mother let him do. For a half hour Russell tightly hugged and cried with Carl until he had no more tears.  
"Do I have to go to School?"  
"It's the law to go to school, but you can take the week off and go back next week. If they don't go well, you can take a few more days off."  
Russell put his head to Carl's shoulder. "Thank you Mr. Fredricksen."  
"Why don't we go to Fenton's. That will cheer you up."  
"Can we make cookies when we get home?"  
"Anything for you honey." Carl said as they left out the door.

That's the end! I hope you enjoyed the story!


End file.
